Unmanned Aircraft System Applications in Construction

Technology advances in recent years have resulted in Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) designs that are more reliable, less expensive, and easier to control. This research looks at the current use of UASs within the United States construction industry. Areas of focus include risks associated with using UASs on construction sites, in-house verses outsourced resources, and a look at the future of UAS applications in construction. Survey results indicate many US companies use UASs on their sites with the majority of applications replacing traditional still photo and video acquisition. In addition to traditional uses of photographic information, photogrammetry software is being used to integrate this data into building information models. In August of 2016, the US Federal Aviation Administration issued new regulations creating a Remote Pilot Certificate and defined requirements for commercial use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems. This paper looks at current and projected uses of UASs in the construction industry.